If you're not already one of the thousands of people
who have signed up for Portland's
36th Shamrock Run, you still have a shot to participate in the massive day
of races across the city – you just have to be quick about it.

Organizers are expecting 35,000 participants in total, the
same number that signed
up last year, for their five events: 5k, 8k and 15k runs, a 5k walk and the
1k "Leprechaun Lap," all taking place Sunday,
March 16, by Waterfront Park downtown.

The Shamrock Run sold out fast, as it tends to do, leaving only 500
spots still open. Online
registration will reopenSaturday,
March 8, at 8 a.m. for those last-minute runners, but be warned: In past
years those 500 spots have sold out within two hours.

It will cost you $90 to register, but that money goes to the
Doernbecher
Children's Hospital Foundation, an organization
that helps fund the OHSU children's hospital. The Shamrock Run is looking to
raise $45,000 for the cause this year, and they're likely well on their way, if
not above that goal.

The races aren't the only aspect of the event. On Friday,
the event will host the Shamrock
Run Fitness Fair at the Oregon Convention Center, which will feature 70
fitness-related booths and exhibits, as well as family St. Patrick's Day
activities. Registered runners can also pick up their t-shirts and numbers at
the fair.

The events surrounding the run itself will be a bit heavier,
with an 8 to 11:30 a.m. beer garden by Widmer, and cups of hot salmon chowder from Stanford's.
Music from St. James Gate will start at 9:15 for spectators, while Irish
bagpipes and high school marching bands will pump up runners along the course.

It's a weekend full of action. Whether you can snag one of
those coveted 500 remaining spots or not, the Shamrock Run will be quite the
spectacle. And with more than 35,000 people descending on downtown, you're best
off taking public transportation – or even getting there by foot.